Tag Archives: Green Crouch End

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One of the things that I love about living in Crouch End is the vibrant and active green community. I’ve enjoyed films at the green on the screen nights run by the local transition movement. I enjoyed being involved in the early days of the Budgens roof garden project ‘food from the sky‘. And I’m proud that Haringey council has led the way on taking strong action on climate change by pledging to reduce its emissions by 40% by 2020: the brilliant 40:20 scheme.

The Haringey 40:20 scheme commits to reducing borough wide CO2 emissions by 40% making Haringey a leading borough on tackling climate change.

But one of the things that disappoints me is having a Liberal Democrat MP who is part of the government once dubbed ‘the greenest government ever’ but now led by a man dismissing our key concerns as ‘green crap‘. Lynne Featherstone has let Crouch End residents down by voting with the Conservative led government against putting a 2030 decarbonisation target in the energy bill. We need that target now to give investors the certainty they need to help move Britain towards its low-carbon future. Labour would introduce that target upon winning in 2015. Lynne wants a vote on it in 2016. I know which option I prefer.

Crouch End deserves better than an MP who props up a Prime Minister like David Cameron.

That’s why Crouch Enders should welcome the selection of Catherine West as their candidate for Hornsey and Wood Green. Catherine West has not just spoken about her commitment to the environment, but has also spearheaded initiatives such such as the Bunhill energy centre, which uses excess heat from London Underground to heat homes. Catherine has consistently prioritised the issues that matter – from when she made Islington the first living wage borough to introducing free school meals for all to help tackle inequality.

I love it when voters tell me in Crouch End that they share my passion for the environment. That’s why I’m proud of the work that Haringey is doing on bringing down emissions in the borough. But to really make a difference we need a Labour government. Ed Miliband has pledged to create one million green jobs by 2020 if Labour win in 2015. Ed Balls has promised to give the Green Investment Bank new powers to borrow and invest in renewable energy as well as energy efficiency.

I hope to do more in the coming weeks and months to convince neighbours and friends in Crouch End that to really go green, they need look no further than Labour.